Powerful Presenting For Leaders: Recent Episodes
David Thomas global speaker and executive speaking coach
David Thomas, global speaker and executive speaking coach, shows leaders how to handle their nerves when presenting, really connect with their audience and walk off feeling like a presentation rockstar!
https://www.CreatingPresentationRockstars.com
I spoke at Wembley Stadium to 300 leaders — here's everything I did to prepare, what went wrong on the day and the lessons every presenter needs to hear.
Whether you're stepping onto a stage for the first time or you've been presenting for years, this episode breaks down the real behind-the-scenes intensity of delivering a high-stakes talk — from the moment you get the call to the second you leave the stage.
In this episode you'll discover:
✅ How to make sure you're the RIGHT fit for an audience before you say yes
✅ Why arriving early is one of the most powerful things a presenter can do
✅ The unexpected last-minute challenges I faced at Wembley — and how I handled them
✅ Why removing the lectern was the best decision I made on the day
✅ How to create genuine connection with 300 people in the room This isn't theory. This is what actually happened — the prep, the nerves, the adaptations, and the wins.
🎙️ David Thomas is a Guinness World Record holder, global professional speaker and leadership presentation skills coach who has delivered keynotes to audiences around the world.
When non-professional speakers can memorise a speech and deliver it without notes, that puts them in the top 1%. But Jamie Oliver won 2010 TED speaker of the Year while clutching a pile of notes a mile thick all the way through.
So which is best? Memorise it and get stressed that you will forget something? Or use notes and lose connection with the audience?
In this episode, David goes through three different ways to learn your presentation while still being able to have massive impact on the audience.
Want to smash that next presentation? Put your content in the right order.
There is one structure that is perfect for every single presentation whether that is a keynote speech, a sales pitch or 1-2-1 appraisal. But hardly anyone does it.
In this episode, David goes through how, working with apprentices, he has been able to hone this process to make it universally powerful.
A presentation with only education in it is like a Xmas tree without baubles. Boring and forgettable. Stories, humour and entertainment are the baubles, tinsel and lighting that bring every presentation alive.
In this edpisode, David relates a story and why it works so well with his target audience.
There are three things that EVERY presentation should have - education, inspiration and entertainment.
Problem is, most presentations are 99% education and that makes them a lecture. And no-one wants to hear a lecture.
David is not just a presentation skills coach, he is out there banging out talks in front of audiences every week.
In this episode, he outlines 12 different lessons he learned from 12 different events, one from each month.
As a leader who wants to be the best version of themselves every time they present, you can apply every lesson he has .
David recently watched a fantastic interview with the creator of DeepTomCruise, a TikTok channel. He thought it would be a frivolous (ish) conversation about creating fun videos.
But it was way different than that. The creator of the videos was thoughtful, smart, business savvy and had a very deep insight into the future of AI, deep fake videos and what it means for all of us.
What David heard and saw was incredibly exciting and at the same time, disturbing and unsettling.
In this episode, he gives the relevant highlights of the interview, what AI means for speaking and whether it will be the nail in the coffin for real, live face to face presenting.
'Death By Powerpoint' has been a well worn phrase that shows just how horrifically bad most presenters use this application.
But in this episode, David explains how Powerpoint - and more specifically what we put on the screen - can absolutely transform ANY presentation.
He shares the following:
- The single greatest Powerpoint RULE that 90% of presenters break
- Why images are massively more powerful than words (and it's not because they are pretty)
- His transformational experience with explaining to audiences his Guinness record reciting Pi to 22,500 digits
- What you should do if Powerpoint goes down
Being the MC of a conference is a job that can make or break a fantastic event.
David was recently asked to coach a client to perform this role who had volunteered to do it but had never done it before.
In this episode, he shares the following:
- Pros and cons of using someone internal
- Best practice of introducing upcoming presenters
- The pitfalls to look out for
- Managing the minefield of Q&A with your superiors
- Why humour is the ONLY currency
All David's presentation skills coaching clients tell him the same thing. That 'their' speaking/clients/products/service is unique and different to everyone else's.
But in reality, the basic principles behind great presenting are the same whether it is speaking at a Board meeting of a billion dollar company or being the compere of a Masked Dancer event at a conference, both things that David has prepared clients for in just the last two weeks.
In this episode, David shares how to get the basics nailed down so you can be a presentation rockstar, whatever the audience and whatever the talk.
David's tagline is Making Leaders Presentation Rockstars and when presenting, it is brilliant to feel that way. The audience laughing at your jokes and clapping you off stage.
But sometimes the reason behind improving presentation skills is more prosaic than that.
In this episode, David talks about an inspirational entrepreneur who specifically asked him to turn her into a presentation rockstar while actually needing the improvement in her skills for nothing more complicated than being able to get the highest price for her business when she sells.
As a leadership presentation skills coach, David is always approached to help leaders improve their speaking in the business world first.
But in this episode, David explains how it is even more important to get speaking at personal events nailed down too. Because those types of events tend to be one offs. You only get one chance to speak at someone's funeral.
He also looks at how the usual presentation rules apply, even putting fun into the eulogy.
Even as an experienced 25 year speaker, David understands one thing - speaking is a live event.
Every presentation and speech he gives has the ability to teach him something because every one is unique.
In this episode, he explains why he believes continuous improvement is the key to being a presentation rockstar...
...and the 9 lessons he learned in 2022 that will help make him an even better presenter in 2023.
David was ill over Xmas and had to cancel everything. His mate reframed it by saying that Xmas was just a refence point and he could see all the people at some other time over the coming weeks.
David was not happy with this.
It was at this point that he realised that the barrier to managing being ill at Xmas was him.
In this episode, David talks about how we can all improve our chances of success in 2023 if we learn to discover what is within us that is holding us back.
David recently got asked to do somethng unusual - rewrite someone's LinkedIn profile.
In this episode, he shares how this came about through a presentation skills coaching class he delivered and how, by applying the same principles to writing as speaking, every leader can dramatically improve their communication across both mediums.
David recently did a coaching session with a client who said his boss did not treat him with the respect he deserved. But this client turned up late to see David and didn't apologise.
Almost every leader gets to achieve their dreams because of the dream makers in their team but not if they think they are being treated as 'lower' than them.
In this episode, David explains thow this deeply damaging attitude almost certainly drips into the way that leaders talk to their colleagues and how Quiet Quitting and all its problems can be the corrosive outcome.
Speakers should never be repeaters. Churning out the same old stuff every time is stale for audiences and for you.
David recently used a brand new start for an important talk at the National Sales Conference. He took a big risk as he had no idea if it would land. In this episode, he explains what he did and if it worked or not.
As a leader, you already understand that success is based on trying something new.
It is about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Otherwise, you are just a hamster on a wheel going round and round doing the same old thing.
That hasn't got you where you are.
Yet, when it comes to speaking, a surprising number of leaders are too cautious, scared to try anything new.
In this episode, David explains why this is a highly flawed approach and that trying and failing is the ONLY way to become a presentation rockstar.
As a leader, you already understand that success is based on trying something new.
It is about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Otherwise, you are just a hamster on a wheel going round and round doing the same old thing.
That hasn't got you where you are.
Yet, when it comes to speaking, a surprising number of leaders are too cautious, scared to try anything new.
In this episode, David explains why this is a highly flawed approach and that trying and failing is the ONLY way to become a presentation rockstar.
YouTube research shows that the most successful channels are those where people are chatting on the video like you are the only one watching.
Yet, most videos online are done in a style by people as if they are presenting on TV.
In this episode, David goes through the key elements to make sure that you don't come across as contrived or even worse, insincere.
YouTube research shows that the most successful channels are those where people are chatting on the video like you are the only one watching.
Yet, most videos online are done in a style by people as if they are presenting on TV.
In this episode, David goes through the key elements to make sure that you don't come across as contrived or even worse, insincere.
David has just done the same talk 44 times in 9 consecutive working days to 10,000 students in 9 different schools in the UK.
The #1 question he got asked every single day was "How do you keep it fresh when delivering the same talk over and over again?"
In this episode, David explains how to INCREASE the impact the more you do the same talk and how to manage yourself in front of the most difficult audience of all - schoolkids!
David has just done the same talk 44 times in 9 consecutive working days to 10,000 students in 9 different schools in the UK.
The #1 question he got asked every single day was "How do you keep it fresh when delivering the same talk over and over again?"
In this episode, David explains how to INCREASE the impact the more you do the same talk and how to manage yourself in front of the most difficult audience of all - schoolkids!
When you present externally, you are the best one in the room. If you weren't, someone else would be standing at the front. So act like it.
Make sure you get the exact speaking circumstances that you need to make the highest impact you can.
In this episode, David shares how he told The Oprah Winfrey Show that they had to meet his demands if he was to go on the show. And how, just last week, he was prepared to walk away from a speaking engagement if they didn't allow him to speak when he wanted to.
When you present externally, you are the best one in the room. If you weren't, someone else would be standing at the front. So act like it.
Make sure you get the exact speaking circumstances that you need to make the highest impact you can.
In this episode, David shares how he told The Oprah Winfrey Show that they had to meet his demands if he was to go on the show. And how, just last week, he was prepared to walk away from a speaking engagement if they didn't allow him to speak when he wanted to.
Quite rightly, you should focus heavily on the delivery part of your presentation, getting all your technical ducks in a row.
But to have maximum impact on an audience, there are two other elements to consider - before and after the talk.
In this episode, David shares a bunch of things every speaker can do before their presentation to maximise its impact and things they can do after the talk that increase take home value and implementation.
Andy Bounds, a brilliant sales trainer, talks about how you must sell the 'afters'. This is what will the client get AFTER they have bought the product or service you are selling.
Leaders need to do the same when they present. You need to think about what the audience will do AFTER you have spoken.
In this episode, David explains how leaders get this completely wrong 95% of the time, losing the impact they have on their audiences. He also explains how to put it right so your audiences will want to take action.
A venture capitalist was interviewed in a podcast. He said that he saw an entrepreneur with a chip on their shoulder as being a positive because when the brown stuff hits the fan, they are the ones who will knuckle down and fight through.
In this episode, David explains why it is the same with presenting. Being abrasive, even slightly aggressive, shows deep passion and that is what people buy into.
He also shares a fantastic example of how he 'made' a Managing Director be more abrasive, making a client feel slightly uncomfortable in the process and in so doing, land a £75m ($100m) contract that he was sure they had lost.
In a previous life, David had one of the most powerful memories in history as a multiple Guinness and world memory record breaker and US Memory Champion.
The #1 question he got asked was 'Have you a gift or is it a trained skill?'
In this episode, David gives his response and how this relates to improving your presentation skills.
Understanding the difference between natural speaking talent and trained improvement is essential to you achieving your potential.
Someone contacted David recently and asked how to choose a presentation skills coach.
This is something that David had never considered but realised one thing - the process is the same as when choosing a coach for ANY endeavour.
In this episode, David goes through the 6 key elements that every leader MUST consider when looking for a presentation skills coach for that next big presentation.
2022 is World Cup year in rugby league and as a huge Brucie bonus, it is being held in England.
Last week, David got invited to speak to the players and backroom staff at one of their camps just 12 weeks before it starts.
In this episode David explains how he made schoolboy errors by cocking up the briefing and how his confidence evaporated when he found out that the last speaker was the England football manager, Gareth Southgate.
But he also shares some amazing advice he got from a fellow speaker about how to overcome his impostor syndrome and occupy his speaking space.
We all have medals and scars. Successes, failures, amazing highs, devastating lows.
But traditional speaking says to only share the war stories.
In this episode, David explains why this is horseshit and how we should learn from both medals and scars as they both have a great deal to teach us.
It is also the same when we present. Audiences love to hear how you overcame adversity but also want to hear about the mountains you have reached the top of.
You don't look for a presentation skills coach in the Yellow Pages. Oh no, that much is obvious.
After all, why would you put one of the most important presentations of your life in the hands of a stranger?
Well, actually, many do and don't have much choice.
In this episode, David goes through the 6 key things to consider when looking for a coach including the questions to ask, what the perfect trifecta of a speaking coach looks like, how long it will take and investment.
Most leaders resist like mad when it comes to putting entertainment into their presentations. They usually tell David that they are not a 'performing monkey.'
To which he always replies 'Yes you are and if you're not now, you'd better learn.'
In this episode, David explains why every presentation requires a certain amount of entertainment. Otherwise, it will be boring, you will be boring, the audience will disengage and you will not get your message across and effect real change.
Which is the only real point of doing any presentation.
Someone challenged David about his Facebook feed commenting that he has too many testimonials.
Basically, he is bragging too much.
A great challenge.
In this episode, David talks about how the changes he implemented in his social media feed are the same we should put into our speaking.
A 1955 Mercedes SL 'gullwing' currently costs around $2m at auction. When they come up.
A 1955 Mercedes SLR 'gullwing' Uhlenhaut just sold for a shocking $142m.
The only major difference between the two cars is the wonderful back story and history attached to the Uhlenhaut.
In this episode, David explains the value of a back story and how we can use it to get greater engagement from our audiences.
David recently went to Croatia to do last minute on site coaching with a client who he had been working with for 6 weeks from home. Coaching at the event they were speaking at was a first for him and taught a ton of stuff.
In this episode, David is going to share what he learned and also what he did that made them come off stage fist pumping the air.
David recently got asked to speak at a major event. Problem is, he didn't know how major...because he didn't ask!
In this week's episode, David goes through what you should ask a client when speaking externally.
Or you could REALLY miss out.
David has just appeared on The Rob Beckett Show on BBC Radio 2. It was a fun slot called Geek Of The Week!
As always, David uses his media appearances as a great example of how to apply presentation skills.
With Beckett being a professional comedian, it made for a very fun and lively interview. The clip is included in this week's podcast.
The second half of the interview that David conducted with Dave Hyner. Dave does not hold back in giving his opinion on the good, bad and ugly in the world of speaking. He drops knowledge bombs all the way through this interview.
A fascinating insight into a top class speaker.
Dave Hyner has spoken to more than 1 million people over the last 25 years. He is a Hall Of Fame speaker with the former Academy for Chief Executives. He has spoken internationally, written books and done enormous amounts of study and research to make sure that what he speaks about works.
In this episode, David interviews Dave and gets into everything involved in the world of top class speaking.
Brevity is the #1 law in all of speaking. Get on, say your bit in the shortest time with the least number of slides and the fewest number of words then get off.
Even if you have a time slot to fill, keeping it super succinct and moving along is really key.
In this episode, David talks about why it is so important and uses a really cool example of selling fish!
This week, David bought a new microphone to improve the quality of his podcast recordings. It has only taken the idiot 120+ episodes to do it. In this episode, David talks about how important it is to crank up your professionalism BEFORE it starts to become noticeable.
Unless you're an idiot, of course in which case, stay as you are.
The Oscars generated billions of words about the Will Smith and Chris Rock situation. And about the same number of conversations about what is acceptable for a host to say to an audience member.
In this episode, David goes through his very specific formula about what you can and definitely should NOT say to an audience.
As a leader, people in our circle of influence expect to hear our voice and opinion but when and how we use that voice to mention current affairs can be a delicate issue. In this episode, David talks about how to do just that, shares examples of how to do it badly and gives an example from one speaker who won't discuss it publicly at all. And for very good reason.
It's always a nervy time testing new material.
You don't want to be stuck delivering the same old stuff every time you present but it takes courage and a leap of faith to use brand new material.
In this episode, David talks about how dead ducks don't quack (bad material is just bad material and will never come good), how to measure how successful material is from the response of an audience response and most importantly, when to cut and run.
Coaching commercial clients is fun and inspiring because they walk through the door keen to learn and improve.
But teaching kids round the kitchen table is a trial that most parents would rather substitute with tooth removal without anaesthetic.
In this episode, David talks about how he recently coached his daughter on presentation skills and how improving yours isn't just about you becoming a presentation rockstar; it's also about the ability to share your new found toolkit with others.
A successful senior manager in a major company spent the day with David yesterday at his house learning presentation skills.
Problem was, she was already speaking beautifully for the very narrow type of presenting she does. And will probably do for the remaining 5 years or so in her career.
But the problem was only for David. His client walked away with the most important thing she was looking to achieve - validation that she was on the right track.
In this episode, David talks about how speaking isn't always about educating your audience. Sometimes, it is about validating their path.
Mel Robbins is a fantastic motivational speaker and David has both listened to her Audible podcast series and an interview with her.
She was asked about her presenting style and she said that she fills her talks with analogies to get her message across.
In this episode, David explains how analogies are incredibly powerful but also that putting in more variety and using other techniques is the optimum way to help you achieve your true speaking potential.
David appeared on the TV show, The Weakest Link, many years ago. He got through to the final three but astonishingly, one of the other two contestants didn't realise that the strategy that would WIN her the money in the final would not be the one that had got her TO the final.
In this episode, David recounts the amazing experience and how leaders need to understand that the style of speaking they do when they are on their way TO the top is not the type of presenting they need to do when they GET to the top.
In business, everyone brags about the key elements that make them stand out.
In David's case, he is forever going on about appearing on Oprah, having a #1 bestselling book and breaking a Guinness record.
But sadly, when leaders speak, their humility means they pass over these crucial points too quickly in their talks.
In this episode, David explains how to make your credibility work for you and most importantly, when to tell the audience.
David heard the title to this podcast in a newsletter and thought it very apt for his progress through his speaking career.
In this episode, he explains why presentation skills progress only happens when we truly push ourselves out of our comfort zone, as cliched as that sounds.
David also talks about the difference between who we are and who we are becoming through the concept of the Hegelian dialectic and most importantly, how this applies to leaders when they present.
In this episode, David goes through the top 10 lessons he has learned about presenting in 2021.
This is from the perspective of his own speaking having presented in person and remotely in over 50 countries.
And from his perspective as a presentation skills coach having prepared many CEOs for big talks.
As a presentation skills coach for leaders, David gets to work on specific talks with real material and over the years, he has worked on every kind of talk imaginable. He is not easily shocked or surprised.
But recently, he got a call from a CEO doing a simple long service awards ceremony and wanted some advice. There was an unusual and devastating twist to the presentation.
In this episode, David explains how it is possible to reframe the most difficult of talks but that it is also essential to always address the elephant in the room.
Last week, David did two very different talks. Both had a really positive outcome but both also had polar opposite starts.
The first talk started with a lot of love for David in the room. Welcoming, engaging and fun.
The second talk, two days later, started at sub zero. The audience was ice cold.
The only difference between the two was the pre-frame.
In this episode, David explains how to get your audience off to a flying start with a cracking pre-frame.
PLEASE NOTE: This episode talks very briefly about the abuse that David received at the hands of his mother and bizarrely, how it got him a major book deal resulting in a #1 bestselling book.
David has just received a batch of his new books from the printers and while he could use them, there is just enough wrong with the printing for him to not be able to do so.
In this episode, David explains how you don't have to mis-match your message to the audience by much for it to get totally lost.
David recently coached a guy going for a major job interview. The company made various stipulations.
David told his client to ignore them and do something different.
In this episode, he explains how, in a competitive environment, it is critical to do something different to what everyone else is doing.
You'd think that after 25 years of speaking, David would be drilled in the art of everything speaking, including the pre-presentation preparation, maybe the most important thing of all.
In this episode, David explains how he was thought he was being the guest of honour at a ceremony only to be introduced as the speaker and have to produce a 20 min presentation 5 seconds later.
If only he had prepared better!
Marginal gains has been around for many a year now and is de rigeur in sport.
But the same can definitely be applied in presentation skills.
In this episode, David explains how applying marginal gains to get a different pillow made a massive difference to his speaking.
JK Rowling used to grab spare minutes while her baby was asleep to write Harry Potter when she was a single Mum.
Jeffrey Archer writes from his home in Mallorca from a purpose-built writing room overlooking the Bay of Palma with no distractions.
Which is best? Both.
In this episode, David explains how to manage the process of writing a presentation whether it is all in one go or piecemeal.
Managing interruptions is where every leader earns their presentation stripes.
Being able to handle hecklers (rare but happens), disruptors (less rare), objectors (relatively common) and people interrupting with questions (very common) is difficult.
Yet, it is one of the areas that leaders almost never prepare for.
In this episode, David shares how he got some weird and wonderful interruptions from students in a recent schools tour.
When leaders present, they fret over a ton of stuff like their voice projection, whether their slides are formatted properly and the engagement level of the audience.
Question is - should they be fretting over this stuff?
Answer - yes!
But the challenge I have seen with leaders is that in focussing solely on all these elements, they lose sight of the REAL reason they are presenting at all.
In this episode, David explains how this was brought home to him recently in a school he was speaking at when a student asked the question that is the title of this podcast.
And he also shares what he said in reply.
Information is cheap as chips. It is a commodity that we value little because of how easy it is to come by.
Delivering information makes you look cheap as chips.
What is valuable is INTERPRETING information.
In this episode, David explains how, as a leader, you should let others deliver information about sales, products, acquisitions, etc. Your job is to float over the top scooping that information up, interpreting it and showing what it MEANS.
When your words are always the same, they have an equal value and that value is zero.
But the question is this - how far are you prepared to go to make your words valuable?
David did a talk recently where he pushed the attendees so hard that he 'lost' two of them.
In this episode, David goes through why he did it and whether the price he paid was worth it.
David is launching an online business and best practice is to launch fast, fail fast and adapt. But not David. Nope, he has been spending too much time making all his material perfect.
In this episode, David explains how and why the best way to quickly improve your speaking is to drop perfect.
Get it done, get it delivered, get the feedback and feed that back into v2.0 of your speech.
David did a LinkedIn post on his bodybuilding recently and got ten times the usual number of views. Ten times!
A quick flick back through his feed shows that this is the usual response.
On the one hand, it is annoying that all the great business content he posts does not receive the same views but at the same time, he now knows what people are interested in.
In this episode, he explains how to use what people want to get and maintain their attention when you present.
David loves watching other people who have to stand up and deliver to a live audience for a living.
Last week, he saw Jimmy Carr, a stand up comedian in the UK, do 2 hours of material and he was sensational.
David loved the entertainment but he also popped on his speaker and presentation skills coach hat to learn from what he saw.
In this episode, he shares the lessons he learned about delivery, platform mechanics and even the use of technology.
Mark Cowgill is a remarkable guy. He is a Director and Co-Founder of Exa Networks in Bradford and he booked David to do presentation skills coaching for him and his team in 2019/20.
David asked Mark to give him a video testimonial once the lockdown dust had lifted. What transpired was a 90 minute chat between two business colleagues who have a shared passion for and understanding of the astonishing power of a presentation.
In this extended podcast episode, Mark and David talk about everything presenting in relation to being a leader.
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how every time he speaks, it is a presentation
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how he and his team have made more money by improving their presentation skills
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how it has 'fundamentally changed his life'
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and much, much more
In 2009, a client booked David to go to Aspen to teach his kids memory and exam techniques. While there, he got the chance to speak to a teacher in the local school. He was utterly shocked at their process to help underperforming students. Problem is, David sees leaders who are underperforming with their presentation skills doing exactly the same thing.
In this episode, David shares what he learned on that amazing trip and how you can avoid doing the same on your way to becoming a presentation rockstar.
Multiply 10 x 10.
Got it? Of course.
Now multiply 13 x 76.
Struggling....?
Still struggling....? 😂
Trust me, we are all the same and the reason is because of a concept called mental economy. We shut things down that take up too much mental energy. But so do your audiences.
In this episode, David goes through two concepts that will have a huge impact on your ability to retain the attention of your audiences, possibly the biggest issue you face as a presenter.
Chris Voss is a Masterclass presenter and former FBI negotiator. David heard an interview with him and the guy had some very interesting approaches to managing situations that are highly counter intuitive but has the experience to back up having implemented them at the highest level (think state terrorism hijacking negotiations).
In this episode, David goes through just one of his concepts about how we ask questions and whether it would help us become more effective communicators when we present.
When a challenger arrives to tell us how shit we are at something, everyone's instinct is to tell them to get stuffed. Or get defensive and justify our actions.
But neither of the above are the right course of action if we want to realise our true potential.
In this episode, David explains how someone properly pissed him off with a couple of challenges and how grateful he is that they did.
As a leader, you are used to facing one way in your organisation and everyone else facing the other. You are the boss, the big cheese.
It is the same in speaking whether it is an internal or external presentation.
The fact that you are the best in the room is not in doubt. That is why you are speaking and everyone else is listening. But at the same time, you cannot let your ego take over and you have to find ways to connect with your audience.
In this episode, David shares strategies and ideas on how to really connect while also owning your speaking space.
David recently read an interview with a former head of Toastmasters who was also a former speaking World Champion. In it, he said that erms and ahs SHOULD be in presentations and that getting rid of them is a bad thing.
In this episode, David explains why this guy was totally wrong and goes even further, saying why it is critical that you not only get rid of them in your professional talks but also your personal conversation.
Audiences love to be part of your presentation and a great way to include them is by asking questions.
But managing an audience is also like herding cats. Asking them a question will lead to them potentially chatting amongst themselves or even worse, shouting out something really inappropriate that knocks you off balance.
In this episode, David goes through three simple rules you must follow when asking questions and you will be fine. He thinks.
This is the third episode in a three part special recorded after doing an exit interview with a client David worked with doing 6 sessions over 8 months.
In this episode, David explains what he learned that will make him a more effective presentation skills coach in the future but also what you can take away to be a better presenter as a leader.
We can never assume what a client is thinking and it is dangerous to do so. As always, the best course of action is to ask. David did just that with a client after coaching him for 6 sessions over 8 months. What he heard was amazing.
In this episode, David is shocked to find out exactly what the client got out of their time together - and how much more he would have been prepared to pay!
After doing 6 sessions over 8 months with a remote client, David did an exit interview with him. What the client shared has transformed the way that David will approach his leader speaker coaching in the future.
In this first episode of a three part special, David shares why and how the client chose him and why it matters so much to you as a leader improving your presentation skills.
Well, it's been a while, as the saying goes!! Finally, David is back face to face with audiences and while it has been a fabulous experience on some level, it has also brought up some challenges.
In this episode, David will share both the pleasures and the downsides of being back in front of an adoring crowd, his vision of how presenting will be in the future and how leaders can adjust their speaking to the brave new world we are about to step into.
We are all sick of back to back Zoom meetings all week long. We yearn for a bit of face to face time.
But the shockingly high efficiency that remote presentations and meetings have brought us means that it simply will not disappear when we eventually get to the new normal.
There is still significant value in mastering remote presenting, especially when only 5% of leaders are doing even the basics properly.
In this episode, David explains some of the benefits of remote speaking and goes through the fundamentals that will immediately put you in that top 5%.
David still finds it astonishing how many leaders pass up the chance to present and give it to others to do in their team. This is horrendous both in terms of how it looks and the massive missed opportunities.
In this episode, David explains why it is crucial that leaders show some courage, grab the baton and start doing the presentations themselves.
He also includes two interview clips of Managing Directors who worked with David, overcame their fears and started presenting more with powerful results.
Leaders often make one fundamental mistake when presenting that lawyers don't - they will say what they DO want to happen as well as what they DON'T.
In this episode, David explains how to manage getting both types of messages across and how he prepared a recent CEO client to do just that.
Are you still thinking of a pink elephant?
Life gets the better of us sometimes and I took a step back from a bunch of marketing and publishing stuff including this podcast.
In this episode, David explains in more detail why he took a break but more importantly, why he came back and what lessons there are for us as leaders.
Leaders are motivated to either learn by themselves or by going on training courses. This is admirable but deeply flawed.
In this episode, David explains why both DIY and training are false economies when it comes to improving presentation skills.
He also shares how the ONLY way to be the best version of you when presenting and get there in the shortest possible time is through coaching.
David sees leaders die on their arses when presenting because they rely way too much on data, statistics and graphs. These are the Features of their organisation. Their staff care way less than they imagine.
Better leaders talk about the Benefits those features create.
But the BEST leaders (top 5%) understand that it is about the MEANING behind the benefit.
Recently, David did a 1-2-1 presentation skills coaching session with a Dubai CEO that turned out to be the most extraordinary one ever.
But unfortunately, not for the right reasons.
David explains what happened, what he learned from it and how his experience can help you with your presentation skills.
David posted recently that his process for presentation skills called The Presentation Palace is a flexible template that can be applied to ANY presentation. David then received a great challenge saying that this wasn't possible.
In this episode, David explains the difference between a flexible template and a prescriptive process.
When assessing a presentation you have either been asked to give or volunteered for, you must ask yourself two questions - are you the right speaker for this presentation and are you the right fit?
David did not perform this due diligence for his last presentation in 2020 and for only the second time in 24 years as a speaker, he did not get paid.
In this episode, he goes through the whole miserable tale and how he (and you) can avoid this.
Everyone prepares like crazy for the big talks which is absolutely the right thing to do. Problem is, that means best practice doesn't become common practice. The only way that happens is by implementing more often.
In this episode, David explains how to practice your speaking skills on a regular basis without it taking up a ton more time.
He also plays the audio of a video Facebook book review he put up about a book his mate had written.
He starts off by saying 'This book could be the difference between life and death.' Hence the title of this podcast.
David had a fabulous email this week off someone who had raised a ton of money for his business after working with David.
But while this was brilliant, one thing that the guy said in his exit interview was how surprised he was about how much he didn't know before being coached by David.
2021 is going to be an uncertain year but one thing is almost for definite - we will have more time on our hands. The best use of that time is to start burying ourselves in new skills that are going to drive our businesses forward, including how to present.
Nearly a year into remote speaking and maybe 1 in 20 leaders are doing a great job presenting through a camera lens.
The quality is genuinely appalling.
But virtual speaking is not going away. 2021 has seen many parts of the world go into lockdown - again - so WFH and video meetings are still going to be the norm for the foreseeable future.
And the astonishing efficiencies remote speaking has produced means we will never completely revert back anyhow.
It's time to get our shit together and learn how to present well through a camera lens.
In this episode, David lays out an entire template to get you moving in that direction.
2020 has been a unique year for speaking. A massive transfer to remote/virtual speaking has been both amazing for its efficiency and incredibly hard because of its reductive nature.
David goes through the 20 key things he has learned in 2020 that will also help you in 2021.
In a couple of sessions recently with CEOs, two of David's delegates started making excuses for their bad speaking practice even though they knew they were wrong.
In this episode, David explains that if you want to be a presentation rockstar, you have to fight your instinct to continue doing the things you know you shouldn't and start doing the things you know you should.
And to STOP using excuses!
David got interviewed recently on a show/podcast with over 100,000 listeners. Not only is a media interview free PR but it is also a fantastic to implement best presentation practice.
Listen to David and see how he does!
David got a low score on a talk recently. It was clear that he really didn't appeal to some of those present. But, after licking his wounds, he contacted those who attended for feedback.
He was surprised by the result. In this episode, he shares those comments and how to manage getting negative feedback.
In this episode, David is going to share some of the best starts to speeches ever written - and he knows this because he wrote them!
In all seriousness, he has written these recently for some major tech companies but much more importantly, he wants to share why he wrote them the way that he did.
The new entrants into the workplace - Generation Z - have the attention span of 8 seconds and watch 5 screens at once. ANY distractions will have them disengage almost instantly.
But they are not alone. We all watch TV with our phones in our hands. Attention deficit is something everyone suffers from which is bad news for presenters, particularly when doing remote presentations.
David will talk about how you can remain the star of the show.
Everyone waits to become a massive world class expert before sharing amazing knowledge they have. In this episode, David explains why this hurts you as a leader and a speaker.
David has always said that congruency is key to maintain speaking integrity. In this episode, he explains why it is no longer so important to be congruent.
David has been speaking for nearly quarter of a century yet coronavirus has thrown him - and everyone - into the new world of virtual presenting. David shares one massive thing he has changed which he never thought he would ever do.
David recently put up a post on Facebook asking a challenging question. He got a host of totally unexpected responses. This was a timely reminder that it is important to never presume what an audience thinks or knows.
Being a recovering perfectionist, David wants everything to be just right. Unfortunately, this actually negatively affects his speaking. Speaking is a live, organic experience and should be approached as such.
In this episode, he explains how to be less like him and learn to go with the flow.
When it comes to being a cracking presenter, it really just comes down to one thing - the 1.5kg lump of grey matter between our ears. Once we master our mindset in relation to speaking, we can make huge strides.
When leaders knock a presentation out of the park, it is the wonderful plaudits that come from the audience that make them feel amazing. But there is another brilliant knock on effect - the effect it has on their team.
In this episode, David explains why this is as significant as the love you get in the room and shares three examples of people he has coached who told him this.
The worst thing any leader can do when they are looking to improve their presentation skills is try and 'match' someone else, particularly a truly stellar presenter like Barack Obama.
In this episode, David goes through how to be the very best version of yourself when you present.
David is working with CEOs all over Europe to prepare them for huge pitches at the same event. The challenge is how to make each one unique. In this episode, he explains how he did it.
There is a massive difference between presenting internally and externally when it comes to the desired outcomes for your presentation.
In this episode, David explains the difference so you don't have that tumbleweed moment.
David is currently preparing 9 CEOs for talks. He explains the big difference between leaders who have to present - CEOs, MDs, etc - and aspiring leaders.
David has gone back into bodybuilding prep to get himself ready to compete in 2021. He explains why his approach is hugely analogous to improving presentation skills as a leader.
David is coaching 9 CEOs for specific pitches at the moment. When he first gets introduced to the new client, what typically happens is that he is presented with a slide deck to start proceedings.
In this episode, David explains why this is fundamentally the wrong approach and how it can negatively impact your finished presentation.
As a presentations skills coach I am used to telling leaders what to do. But now I am putting together a showreel video and as it is still a presentation, it is critical that I apply my own rules.
In this episode, I explain how and why I put it together and you get the chance to hear the audio version.
Almost every leader wants to stand out from the crowd when it comes to their product or service but goes into reverse when asked to do the same when it comes to their presentations.
I recently saw a post about how someone LOST 2000 followers on LinkedIn by changing their icon to incorporate the Pride colours.
One of the comments in the thread said this was virtue signalling.
Is virtue signalling a concern for presenters?
David has been preparing an MD of a wealth management firm for a major keynote speech. Due to coronavirus, she has had to pivot very quickly as the event went online. She showed real courage in making the necessary changes and really jumping in.
The death of George Floyd impacted David profoundly. He has found it difficult to know what to say because he has never encountered prejudice of that kind. But he knows what he thinks and what he feels and he knows what he needs to do. As a leader, you can find yourself in the same spot. This is how to deal with it.
No-one knows what the future holds when it comes to live events. But I do believe that even after lockdown, when things start returning to normal, remote speaking, presenting and facilitating will still be a significant part of daily business life. In this podcast, I explain why.
Being put on the spot is a nervous experience for even the most experienced speaker. Hear how David did on the second half of his live Q&A on a recent remote motivational speech.
Normally, when David does a keynote speech, there are no questions at the end. The client wants to get their value for money by having him speak for as long as possible. But after doing a recent remote motivational speech live, the organiser followed up with a live Q&A session. This podcast episode is the first half of that session.
David has thrown himself into the remote speaking world. He shares his experiences so far and there is the second half of his keynote speech that he recently did remotely for a national sales conference audience.
Keynote speaking is the one type of presentation where it is difficult to capture the same impact online as you do face to face. David did one this week and gives you his opinion on whether it worked, feedback from the client and delegates and plays the first half.
Coronavirus has turned David’s speaking diary into a desert for the foreseeable future. The saviour that has stepped in is remote speaking. In this episode, David goes through how valuable remote speaking can be when it is done well. And the lessons he has very quickly learned as ALL his clients go virtual.
There is one number more important in business than any other and we should avoid it like the plague. It is the number that is sending businesses to the wall and particularly those of many speakers.
In this episode, David explains why this number is so significant but even more importantly, how you can circumvent it to ensure you still gain maximum impact when communicating as a leader.
David posted today on social media about how managing nerves is still the #1 issue when it comes to presenting. Someone posted that they ‘believed’ that nerves are good to maintain focus. This is utter bullshit. David tells you why in this podcast.
If it was easy, every leader would be a presentation rockstar. Improving presentation skills requires an entire deconstruction of your current speaking self, learning successful and tried strategies and turning them into habits. How hard can that be and have you got what it takes?
‘Every organisation must prepare for the abandonment of everything it does.’ - Peter Drucker. This is EXACTLY what David does when he coaches CEOs. He takes them apart and reassembles them as a presentation rockstar. But to do that takes a leap by the mentee. Most want to be a little more interesting/funny/better with technology, etc. But to have a significant improvement requires something much deeper. David explains how he does that and the impact it had on one CEO when he made the change.
David recently spent a day doing presentation skills coaching with a team of 8 people. Unusually, the feedback was mixed. Question is – how did David deal with it?
As David has gone along his merry journey called life, he has learned one thing. Whether it was becoming a world class memoriser, national level competitive bodybuilder or an international speaker for nearly quarter of a century, one thing is true. There are always two categories of performers – those who have a detailed strategy and execute it well and those who fly by the seat of their pants.
David recently had an old friend up at his house for a day doing presentation skills coaching. When he did the exit interview at the end of the day, he asked him why he had chosen David. He said it was because of his social media videos. We all know the incredible value of a strong presence on social media and yet, it still shocks David how many people – even professional speakers – do it badly despite the obvious harm to their business and brand.
David did a motivational keynote speech for a sales conference just before Xmas in Dubai. One specific request from the guy who booked his was to memorise and recite a pack of playing cards. Two people filmed it and you will hear a clip of the response from those watching. What seems like an almost pointless party trick can have a dramatic effect on an audience.
Everyone who presents wants to be a presentation rockstar and absolutely kill from the stage. Yet, the thing that holds most leaders back is fear. Fear that they will be ridiculed if they share something personal. Well, David has news for you. NOT saying those things is what makes audiences pity you and think of you as beige.
In this episode, David gives two examples of leaders who took a deep breath, stepped out of their comfort zone and were richly rewarded for it.
As this is the first podcast of 2020, David thought he would reflect on a wonderful 2019 and share what lessons he has learned including what NOT to do with a client. He will also share how his lessons will change his life, his business and his speaking moving forward and how you can apply them too to your presentation skills.
David recently gave a unique talk that he has never been asked to deliver in 23 years of speaking. And for the first time in 15 years, he was genuinely nervous. In this podcast, he explains how he put the presentation together and handled his nerves.
A current Xmas advert is using an old piece of music that took David back 35 years to a very difficult time in his life. Hearing it created an immediate change in his state. You can do the same with your audiences.
Over the years David has competed in some unusual and different areas. This has included the World Memory Championships and the Over 50s British bodybuilding finals.
As a professional speaker, he has also spoken to hundreds of thousands of people in 25 different countries.
But whatever the endeavour, all the practice in the world has not come close to the experience of actually putting himself in the hot seat and doing it for real. To be a presentation rockstar, you must do the same.
Too many presentations are sterile and devoid of any personality and character. A bit more honesty and openness making them more real will draw audience members to you.
After entering the bodybuilding finals of the British Championships, David quizzed the category winner and previous World Champion as to the secret of his success. He came back with one word – consistency.
A consistent diet and training regime is the only way to achieve the very best physique possible in bodybuilding.
In this episode, David explains how consistent application of best practice presentation skills is the only way to produce the very best version of yourself on stage.
Sometimes when he speaks and it is the right presentation with the right audience, David shares how he manages his very difficult childhood to still operate successfully as an adult.
In this episode, David explains how the same approach can be used for dealing with significant speaking barriers such as nerves.
Whatever we do, we operate between an upper and lower limit.
In this episode, David talks about how to make sure you don't drop below the lower limit and maximise your potential at the upper limit.
Well, it happened, David stepped out onto a bodybuilding stage in front of hundreds of people wearing nothing but his underpants and at least 14 gallons of fake tan. Quite an experience!
It turned out to be one of the most momentous days of his life teaching him many lessons, mainly about himself.
In this episode, he is going to share some of those lessons that can be immediately applied by you in your aim to step on stage and be a rockstar.
Not a bodybuilding rockstar, obviously....although David does know where to find a very sexy line in budgie smugglers....😉
In life, everyone falls somewhere on the spectrum of certainty from high certainty at one end (life is very predictable but can be boring) to high variety at the other (life is exciting but is never truly stable).
David was chatting to a friend on Sunday and she said that she would rather feel nervous for whole of the next 20 years doing new stuff than keep doing the same old stuff and drift through.
In this podcast, David looks at where to position yourself on the spectrum of certainty.
David's bodybuilding debut is fast coming round. When he started, it was all about diet and exercise but now other factors are coming into play like the beautification process. Yes, really.
In this episode, David will tell you what this actually involves and why it is exactly the same when preparing for presentations.
There are four levels of value. The higher up the value chain you go, the greater the type and number of opportunities you will get. And the success, fun and money that go with them.
In this episode, David shows where presentation skills comes on that chain and if you wish to, how to ascend it.
David is entering his first bodybuilding competition this year and he is really, REALLY nervous about it. He decided to go to a bodybuilding competition hoping it would make him feel more relaxed.
It didn't.
In this episode, he will explain how he is managing his nerves and how you can do the same if it is an issue for you.
David always tells people that he has no interest in their boring travel stories. As a professional speaker, he has enough of his own.
But in this episode, he relays one to hammer home the single most important point he ever makes about presenting.
David recently heard a brilliant phrase used by an internet marketer when putting together a marketing strategy.
"Divide your audience BEFORE they come in to your community or they will divide your members AFTER they have come in."
In business, you need to find out who is with you and who is against you. You know that a fox in the henhouse is a very difficult way to manage and run a business.
In this episode, David shares what he told two former prison officers so they could immediately divide those who would support their charity and those who would not.
When David asks audiences if they like honesty, everyone puts their hand up. When asked about brutal honesty, 20% keep their hand up. When asked about rip your chest open and bare your soul honesty, just 1% keep their hand up.
Problem is, without brutal and honest feedback, your speaking will not improve enough for you to reach your true potential.
In this episode, David shares how he got some brutally honest (and negative) feedback from a client who didn't think he would read it and how he brought this up when she later booked him for some work!
Everyone wants to move forward in life but very few like being put on the spot and challenged. As a leader, you are in the incredibly privileged position of being able to help people achieve significant change when you present. The key is to do it in a way which moves them in a different direction and doesn't hurt them.
In this episode, David shares the way to do just this and how, when you get it right, it will be one of the most amazing experiences you ever have when speaking.
Would you cross a river filled with crocodiles? Of course not.
What if your child was sat on the bank on the other side about to get snaffled by a hungry croc?
Success is often no more than finding out how far you are prepared to go.
In this episode, David will share what utterly useless activity he did for 6 hours a day for 6 months and why someone spent more than 20 hours preparing for a 6 minute presentation.
You need to start every presentation like a greyhound coming out of the traps with its testicles on fire. There's a picture for you. A slow start will lose the attention of your audience and once they are gone, they are gone.
In this episode, David explains how to get every presentation off to an electrifying start and why it is so important.
Presentations are like cars.
At one end of the spectrum is a 200,000 mile Ford Fiesta covered in panels painted every colour of the rainbow. At the other is a sparkling Lamborghini supercar with paint a mile deep.
The question is - which would most accurately describe your presentations?
In this episode, David shares the great news that the choice is yours and how to get yourself up to Lambo territory.
The benefits of improving our ability to present may be as obvious as the spots on a dalmatian dog but actually, they are unique to every single person and definitely unique to each presentation.
In this episode, David shares what other leaders have said about the benefits of top class presenting including why Warren Buffet offered to pay students $50,000 more if they went on a communication skills course.
Too many leaders avoid humour when they present. Partly because they don't think they are funny but also because they understand that there is a fine line between setting your talk on fire with great humour and burning it to the ground with bad.
But humour is the one thing that can make the biggest difference to any talk and is worth every effort to get it right.
In this episode, David goes through safe and easy to apply techniques that are guaranteed to get your audiences rolling in the aisles.
David was a very good Boy Scout and still is! When it comes to speaking anyway as he lives by the Scout motto of 'Be Prepared'.
However, on occasions he has been caught out by winging out. In this episode, he talks about how that felt and why it is impossible to over prepare.
This unusual episode broadcasts David's interview with Chris Stanford, MD of Arden Wood Shavings.
Chris was present at a session David did on presentation skills. He went away and applied it word for word to massive success.
This episode is a great example of how how presentation skills training is not just conceptual but really works in the real world.
The thing that frustrates David the most is that 80% of all presenters have simple bad habits that would immediately catapult them into the top 20% if they got rid of them.
In this episode, David goes through them and how to get shut.
Remember this one devastating piece of information:
Audiences remember just 5% of statistics but a genuinely shocking 63% of stories.
Stories are not there to keep the audience entertained (which is still a worthy goal and has value in itself). They are not there to impart raw data and information. Stories are there to create causal links that cement the information in the audience's memory and help them understand your message.
In this episode, David tells his signature story from Wembley.
David has a coaching speaking client who is a Managing Director and a global leader in her field. He is preparing her for one of the biggest talks of her career.
The temptation for almost all leaders in this position is to go deep on the product they are promoting and bang on about features and benefits. These are important but could be put in a brochure. What audiences need to see is what you stand for.
In this episode, David shows how he got this client to show what she really stood for.
The beauty of getting older is you get to live a life you never knew existed. The beauty of improving your presentation skills is you get to enjoy presenting in a way you never knew existed.
In this episode, David explains the deep joy of continual improvement in improving presentation skills and why it is SO worth the effort.
David did a recent talk and someone posted online that he was not likeable or personable. Well, that would be rude if it wasn't true. But it was true for that individual so it was valuable feedback.
In this episode, he explains how he dealt with it.
Speaking is a live event. Stuff happens. At a recent speaking gig, David had to dodge a number of potential landmines.
In this episode, David explains how it is really important to control your speaking environment otherwise it could come back to bite you in the arse.
Nerves are always up there as a big issue for anyone who has to get up and present and so it is no surprise that David is constantly asked if he still gets nervous.
In this episode, David explains how he has managed to turn nervousness into excitement.
David was reading a motivational quote on the walls of a gym that said 'The only bad workout is the one that you didn't do.'
This is bullshit. A bad workout can set bad habits. Bad habits can injure you and stop you training altogether. It is the same with speaking. Bad habits set in and this hurts presentations.
In this episode, David explains how it is crucial to learn from a world class source and that the very best way to improve is to get a coach.
Too many leaders leave the organisation of their own events to their team then get surprised when things are not exactly right. Whilst delegating is essential in business, when you are up at the front, on your own, you need to know everything is right so get involved.
In this episode, David shares the nightmare of an internal company conference that he was the keynote speaker at when Slido kicked in and completely unstuck the boss.
David received the most astonishing e-mail from a former delegate and immediately set off to interview him. This is that interview.
In this episode, David relates the part of the interview of Chris shares how he has used his skills, even sharing with his family.
It is easy to get caught up in a current situation and not focus on the level above.
But as an aspiring leader, it is important to do both with your presentation skills - develop them for your current environment but also the level above.
In this episode, David shares how he has been preparing a young man to present at the level of a School Head while currently being a Deputy.
Lack of confidence is a huge issue for leaders when presenting. But an improvement in confidence is not just internal, it can also be external as others can already see how amazing you are before you even realise it.
In this episode, David explains how it is important to let others tell you how good you really are.
Because he is a world class memoriser, all of David's speaking clients expect him to push them to memorise their talks. Without doubt, it can have a huge impact on the audience and dramatically improve your ability to really connect with your audiences.
But at the same time, he really does understand how hard it is.
In this episode, he goes through the best ways to do it should you wish to have a go.
This episode is dead simple.
David explains how you must apply best presentation skills practice to everything from appraisals to huge keynote speeches.
That's it.
It goes against our entire nature to have people not liking us. It is bloody awful but thankfully, most of the time we can avoid these people.
Not so with speaking. When we present, there is one indisputable fact. We cannot please all the people all the time. Some audience members will not like us, our message or both.
In this episode, David uses an example of someone who sent him a vitriotic e-mail in response to something he felt very passionate about. He also shares how to manage difficult audience members.
As we move through 2019, New Year resolutions will quickly turn to dust. So it is with presentation skills. Leaders want to improve their presenting but end up doing the same thing.
As a speaker coach, this eternal problem causes David huge frustration.
Is it because leaders don't have the how or because they don't have a big enough why?
Or is it because they are just too weak to change?
In this opening episode, David gets stuck into this contentious issue and gives some hope.